Solomons to Darwin

So this is the big one for this side of the equator, nearly 2,000 miles!

On Wednesday 22 June Brendan Woolley, Gordon McKay and Jeremy Mace arrived at the Western capital of the Solomons, Ghizo! They were even less inclined to stay there than Anna and I had been! So, as we found that there was now no Customs clearance at Ghizo, as the officer had taken off on a logging ship some months before and no one knew exactly when he would be returning, we had to head to Noro on New Georgia Island...on the way was Fatboys so we stopped there for dinner and the night and had the swim and dive in the morning that Anna and I had missed a few days before.

Noro is 25 miles up the Blackett Channel (that’s the channel that President JFK was run down by a Japanese Destroyer in the Second World war and from where he and the survivors of his crew swam and hid and eventually managed to get to the safety of their own lines.) We cleared customs and then headed through the Diamond narrows. That was an experience and saw many lovely native homes settled on flat green grass by the side of the Vonavona Lagoon, another amazing place. These lagoons are world famous and are reputed to be the biggest salt water lagoons in the world. We went on and through the reef at the Munda Bar at 1700 on the evening of Thursday 23 June and headed towards the Louisiades 300 miles to the South East. Unfortunately it was light winds so we were motoring much of that leg arriving Saturday morning at the first little harbour we found on rounding the SE point of Misima Island. Man, this was bad! The whole town seemed to come down to the wharf to see the visitors. As we did not intend to clear customs into Papua new Guina, we were a bit worried when we saw someone taking a picture. The town had one store, a small market and seemed to be very poor. No maintenance on any of the buildings, the wharf and the water was muddy with mangroves along the edge. We decided to move on and headed for the Calvados Chain of Islands, particularly, Bagaman Island.

I do not know why we headed for Bagaman Island, but it was an inspired choice. Magnificent little spot. Beautiful, sheltered bays with beautiful corals and white sandy beaches.. high hills, plenty of rain and lovely people, even if their dentistry left a little to be desired!  We were visited almost immediately by series of visitors wanting to trade. We acquired some beautiful pawpaws, bananas and some carved model sailing canoes. We enjoyed the stay there and prepared the boat for sea.

Next morning, Sunday, after cleaning the bottom of the boat with snorkels in beautiful clear water of about 29 degrees, we headed off. Around the corner and into 30 knot breezes and a strong current between the islands..this all settled down to a 25 knot SE trade breeze and we were off. Out through the Jomard Channel into the Coral Sea and away. We travelled well along the south shore of PNG 500 miles to Blythe Entrance, the entrance to the Torres Strait. The wind was 20 to 25 knots from the SE, warm and fine. We enjoyed the sail having only to motor the last day directly downwind to make the entrance.

The Solomons

The Solomons

An amazing group of islands. 500 miles long (750 if you include St Christobel  Island). 83 different languages and less than 600,000 inhabitants whose ancestors have lived here for over 50,000 years. Yet, very primitive in a western sense, but as the Prime Minister of the Solomons said to me, they are as developed as they need to be. This is not much. The GNP per head of population is about 80 US cents a day!...But what do they want money for? They have a fantastic growing climate, plenty of heat and rain , plenty of fish, minerals timber and gold..the locals don’t need cars as they all have dug-outs and just paddle about.  They do not have very many tourists, and those that do come are pestered to buy their carvings. I think everyone in the Solomons is a carver! The predominant past time seems to be chewing beetle nut. They all (or most, even the youth have red teeth and spit.) Filthy!

These huge lagoons are said to be the biggest in the world. Very beautiful, averaging 20 metres deep with sheltered waters and villages along the shores, it seemed idyllic...until we were told that the logging companies had poisoned the lagoons and not to swim or eat any fish from them. They said even some of the crocodiles were being found dead!

Having visited another village we picked up carver Paul who wanted to visit his wife and 6 month old child at Viru Harbour on the Western side of New Georgia Island which was on our way to Ghizo. We went in the gap in the reef at sun-down, and anchored downstream from the village before taking Paul ashore. We meet his wife, brother-in-law and Jo his son. We found that the sister in law had died a few months before of pneumonia, and we now find that both Paul’s son and wife also apparently have pneumonia! They say they have a clinic! There was nothing there. God help them. Perhaps he will for most of the village were at church (it was Friday night, and they are all Seven Day Adventists). There were no roads, only watercourses for paths, great gardens and flower beds..and what seems like a lot of young men who could have been gainfully employed building, repairing or rebuilding the local wharf, the landing..man..they need a leader!

We got out of there early next morning and headed up the western side of New Georgia to Ghizo arriving at sundown on Saturday 18 June. Man, what a surprise. Looked like a scrap metal yard! We went ashore and visited PT109 café and bar..nothing doing for us, as there was a private function going on. So we walked along the main (only) street to the Ghizo Hotel for drink, to find that the prime minister of the Solomons was there and I enjoyed a chat with him about the Islands. He has a big job ahead of him! There was a dance troupe from the hotel about to perform...so we stayed for dinner. All pretty nice relative to everything else in Ghizo!  Too much filth in the water in Ghizo Harbour to swim..so we took the dinghy between then reefs a few miles to Fatboys Resort for a swim, a dive and lunch. The lunch was OK, and probably the dive would have been, but too windy to swim. It was all very interesting but I did find Anna lost interest pretty quickly..! So Monday 20^th was spent getting the boat shipshape ready for Anna to leave early next day. I was sad to see her go, but that was the plan..and I know as sad as I was, she was as pleased to be going home! So I had a day before the crew to sail to Darwin arrived so I spent all that Day fixing the dinghy we tore at Oyster Island as the running repair we did there has a slow leak. Had dinner at the hotel with John Dale on Desire, a steel 34 foot sloop from Bluff..John being a diary farmer from Southland. Amazing where he had been and was going in that vessel!

Vanuatu to the Solomon Islands

So the family have left and Willie Gardner has arrived at Oyster Island to join us for this leg of the voyage. Out of this beautiful lagoon, through the reefs and set sail northwards towards Gaua..the first of the Banks Islands. We had a good trade breeze, easterly 18 knots and sailed well to get to Gaua just after sunset. Next morning went ashore...man these guys have nothing!  Maybe it’s partly because they were evacuated from their village for 18 months while their island, an active volcano, kept erupting!! With no maintenance and 18 months in these climates..just about everything they had built was dilapidated and falling down..they have a big job ahead of them!

No wind today so after seeing the Village at Gaua, we motored to Sola..arriving about lunch time to clear out from Vanuatu. The customs man was there and all OK, but Immigration was the local policeman and he had gone to check up on a beached whale on the other side of the island. So we had a couple of hours to kill while we waited.  There was no good swimming beach, the town, although a provincial capital, was half way between a town and a village and quite frankly didn’t make the grade on either! We were pleased to get our stamps at about 5 o’clock and get back to the luxury of Salanjo as soon as we could!

The next day..Saturday 11^th June we awoke to a beautiful day and motored 5 miles to the most fabulous beach with a good reef break for Willie to ride. The island was leased by an Australian who flew for Van Air and there were 5 families living there..indeed it was in fact, their island. Anna and I went ashore in the kayak (yep..and we didn’t get tipped out on the waves on the beach..Anna’s good paddling and navigation!).

In the afternoon we headed north towards the well formed cone of the volcanic island of Uraparapara...and motored into the lagoon created by the cone. Pretty interesting, but decided not to stop and continued through the night up through the Torres Islands towards Guadalcanal three days away!  Very light winds so we ended up motoring most of the way!! Juk!

Pulled into Honiara at first light on Tuesday  14^th June. Cleared customs without any problem and found a café..The Lime Café..man..great coffee, great food , loved it..otherwise Honiara was not much! Anna found a massage which was not too bad, and I spent some time at the Pt Cruz Yacht Club which was pretty good. We did some shopping, Willie brought us a lovely dinner at the Honiara Hotel..hat was an experience..a bit like a Disney World creation!.. and we left Willie (who was heading home the next day) and Anna and I motored on up through the islands towards the famous Morovo Lagoon 120iles NW of Honiara. Pulled in through the Mbillie Passage about 4pm..had meal and went to bed to be approached by Paul, a local carver with his wares about 0800 the next morning. We asked him to come back at 10 which he did with another carver, Milton. We found them excellent traders..wanting all manner of tools, sandpaper, clothes, DVD’s shoes for their carvings...and money as well!

Va

Tanna Island and the family cruise through Vanuatu

This an amazing Island. Its circa 120 miles South of Vila which is on the main island of Vanuatu, Efate. The people are so friendly, very shy as its not top of the tourist list...yet! It has an active volcano, Mt Yasur,  which the family all visited on the Wednesday evening at sunset, and were astonished that they were able to get so close to the open cauldron of molten lava and were shaken by a few of the bigger tiny eruptions that take place periodically which blow rocks and magma up into the air, some of which falling not too far away from the spectators! Betty chose not to go as it was back along that “dreadful road”, as she describes it. So, Geoff, who had been to the volcano before, and Betty stayed back at the Village at Port Resolution and made a yummy dinner.

Before going to the volcano, we had a great morning snorkelling, then an island style lunch at the local beach “restaurant”  ( curry chicken, salad and fruit..) it was interesting..the restaurant was a burre on the sand..nothing in it but some planks for tables and more but lower planks for seating!

On the way to the volcano we visited the Kustom Village to watch the nude namba (being a sheath cover over the men’s penis) dancing! It was fascinating...of another era. The men’s bodies were amazing, tight and terrific; Anna could not drag herself away!

After all that excitement, we headed off at about 11pm to sail all night to Vila, arriving for a swim off Pango point at about 0930 on a beautiful clear bright morning. Finally enough, we had anchored right outside the home of Mandy  and Adam Smith (Fitchett) who we visited for a late lunch before proceeding into Vila harbour to moor stern to the wall outside the Waterfront bar and Grill.. a great location..

We had two enjoyable nights at Vila before we sailed up to Havana Harbour where we met up with Charles and Megan ( St Clair Brown) who were in residence at Undine bay..so next day we headed off around to the marina Charles has recently completed and moored..in quite a blow and had a great night ashore at the homestead.

An early start next day saw us into Epi Island for a swim, dinner then another over night sail to Pentecost to try and catch some land diving. We were pretty lucky as we found a little village at the South end of Pentecost called Lanlot, the men from which were building a tower for the next day’s diving. We were in luck!! So, Saturday 4^th July saw the Salanjo crew and about three other tourists and boaties sitting on a log in the bush with 7 very brave boys/young men about to dive 25 metres off a rickety tower. It was quite something. The body whips as the vines suddenly tighten and the diver is halted a metre or two above the ground. It was quite awesome.  Then the chief’s daughter offered to prepare a laplap (a kind of hungi) for us..so we supplied chicken, onions, kumula (root plant similar to kumura)and she supplied the rest and cooked a great feast..the village band set up and we danced with the youth and children late...a really great evening and locals loved it too. Left after party and sailed overnight to Espiritu Santo, the big island in the north of Vanuatu arriving at Oyster Island in the middle of the day. Oyster island resort is a fabulous little resort in a fabulous lagoon..owned by friends Colin and Marianne Cashmore...and managed by new friends, Robert and Sue. 

The next day saw us in Luganville, the boys diving on the USS Coleridge (that was pretty special) while the girls checked the shops and the market...then a drive and a very pleasant afternoon at Champagne Beach.

Tuesday was our last day together..Kate and nick went for a snorkel...or tried to..to find on the way the dinghy somehow got a 20cm tear in the underwater section of the tube!! So with the dinghy then unusable that was the day for them..trying to repair the dinghy for me while Mike, Jax and Anna went into town for a snorkel on Million Dollar point on the way to the airport. It was with a sad heart that I waved goodbye to Nick, Kate and Betty as they climbed into the taxi on the far bank of the lagoon and headed off to catch up with the others at the airport...a great family trip and really memorable.

Fiji to Vanuatu

We had a great few days in Fiji..... after spending nearly all Friday messing about with Customs...not so much on our arrival papers, but on getting a cruising permit to go to Molololailai, Musket Cove and Castaway Island for two nights. We have never had to get a permit for these islands in the Mamamuthas, but not only did we need this permit this year, but it also cost a bit of “koha”..so much for President Barniarama and his clean up Fiji theory!! We have never had to pay back-handers before in many years of visiting Fiji...

Anyway...it was all fine and on Sunday we bade Brian, Phil and Judy goodbye and left on Monday morning for Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

By the time we competed filling the diesel tanks at Denerau, cleared Customs at Lautoka it was early afternoon by the time we were motoring down to the reef passage which we passed through at 1600 hours...and Mike Lanigan, Anna and I were on our way to meet the family at Tanna.

The trip was pretty quiet..sailing, most of the time, at 10 to 12 knots..at times better...wind 20 to 25 ESE which was great..until it went more into the North so we ended up getting below the rhumb line..in the end..we missed making the entrance to Port Resolution in daylight...by 2 hours..arriving about 1930 on the Monday evening 20 May. So Tuesday morning, knowing the family were flying to Lenekell early afternoon, and Lenekell being on the other side of Tanna several hours drive away, we entered the bay, quickly anchored, rushed ashore and were very lucky to immediately find that there was already a truck taking some French cruisers to Lenekell on the other side of the island to clear Vanuatu Customs...so we jumped on that and were off. Wow! What a ride, what a road...actually, you could hardly call most of it a road, more like a water course of ditches and holes..amazing driver.

So we arrived at Lenekell just before the family...being my Mum Betty, Nick and his new fiancé, Kate Williams, Michael and his lady, Jacqueline Hosking and of course, Anna and Geoff. We said “goodbye” to Mike who flew that afternoon from Lenekell to Vila and then on home to NZ. We had a great time with Mike and if it had not been for the arrival of the family would have missed him, his precision, organising and humour on board.